Want More Freedom And Flexibility? Try Amazon Flex!

Harry here. Last month we shared a post from Scott about his experience delivering packages for a company called Dynamex. There was some confusion, though, as many readers thought this was the same as Amazon Flex. Companies like Dynamex (or OnTrac in California for example) provide last mile delivery for Amazon Prime packages while Amazon Flex is only for Amazon Prime Now deliveries (1-2 hour delivery option).

Since so many of you were curious about Amazon Flex though, I set out to find someone who had experience delivering for them. Today, RSG reader and first time guest poster Eric Kouvolo shares what his experience was like working for Amazon Flex and how it compares to rideshare.

Want More Freedom And Flexibility? Try Amazon Flex!

What do most drivers for Uber and Lyft say is the biggest reason they drive? Freedom and flexibility. Work when you want. Drive as much as you want. Be your own boss! These are the same reasons I tested out driving for Lyft and Uber starting over a year ago, and ultimately took the leap to leave my steady job recently. I did it because I am trying to grow my financial consulting business, and being on someone else’s schedule was really getting in the way of me reaching my maximum potential.

Problem – You Can’t Control Passenger Demand

“Do you make good money driving?” This is something I often get asked by passengers. Well… it depends. Living and driving in a new Uber market with a population of around 100K doesn’t have the steady demand as many big and established cities (Seattle is 80 miles away). The downside is I can’t control how many rides I get and sometimes I go offline, as waiting 30 minutes between “beep…beep…beep” isn’t the best use of my time.

Everyone Loves a Guarantee!

Would you rather get a guaranteed minimum 4% return every year for the rest of your life, or maybe 10%+ some years with the possibility of a -50% market crash the year before you retire? This is something I ask my clients when they are planning for retirement. While driving certain hours can be more profitable, the risks of passengers becoming unwell also increases. I prefer guarantees (without the mess).

Have you heard people say “Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket!” or “Diversify, Diversify, Diversify!”? Many investors have painfully learned that investing (betting) big on one thing is the recipe for financial distress. Recent fare reductions have impacted many drivers. Why limit yourself to just Lyft or Uber as the sole source of income? I like options and it was time to diversify my on-demand income and flexibility.

Ready To Flex? Hello Seattle!

After applying via the website https://flex.amazon.com, creating an Amazon account, and passing a background check, Amazon sent me an email for an intro webinar. This explained the whole delivery process and what was expected from DAs (delivery associates). They shared a link to download the Amazon Delivery App (Android smartphone users only as of now). After downloading the app, setting up all my bank info, and watching a few short videos, I was ready to deliver!

Amazon has two pickup locations in Seattle, and I showed up at their downtown warehouse which operates from 8am-midnight, 7 days a week. The week before, you can select what hours you are willing to drive and get preferred scheduling, or select day of and try to reserve 2 hour blocks. I was able to schedule 8-noon, 4-6, 8-midnight.

Have You Ever Been Excited To Hang Out At The DMV?

The waiting area in the pickup warehouse can be described as similar to a Department of Motor Vehicles office in decor, but everyone (Amazon employees, drivers, security guards) seems happy to be there and was friendly and talkative. Each time you arrive, you check in via the app and sign-up sheet to be placed in the queue for delivery. Free conversation and wi-fi helps pass the time as you wait for orders to start rolling in.

Uber for Amazon? What’s the deal?

Amazon Prime customers in select markets receive free 2-hour delivery or pay $7.99 for 1-hour delivery services (this service is called Prime Now). What do they deliver? What do you want? I was amazed at the number of toilet paper orders! Most packages are in a plain brown paper bag. It was Friday night, so I could assume by size, weight and age verification requirement, several deliveries included alcohol. Where was this when I was in college? Netscape and Yahoo could have been light years ahead of the game!

Time To Roll!

Finally it’s your turn to deliver and one of the employees calls your name. You can get one package, depending on location and time requirements, or a whole cart if there are multiple orders on a route. With the app on my phone, I scanned each package assigned, swiped “finished scanning” and loaded my vehicle. Similar to TNC apps, Amazon shows an address and name you navigate towards. I switched to Waze as Seattle traffic can be horrible and sometimes the side streets are faster than freeways.

Once you arrive, you rescan the package and see if there are special instructions (attended, unattended, call customer, check ID). Sometimes there are detailed instructions for delivery from the customer. If an attended delivery is required, you are prompted to select who was the recipient (customer, household member, front doorperson, receptionist). If there are any issues while delivering, it is easy to call Amazon support for further guidance and they were very helpful when I needed them.

Once all your deliveries are completed for this round, you navigate back to the warehouse and get back in line for the next round. If you finish early, the app also has a notification if you are requested to do a food delivery from the zone where you are located. I did not get any of these, but Amazon did provide me a temporary hot bag.

Editor’s Note: While you’re driving for delivery, make sure you’re tracking your mileage! Try Stride Drive, a free mileage tracker now available for Android and iOS.

Guarantees and Unexpected Bonuses

Unlike waiting for a ping from the college kid who just turned 21, and all his bros who somehow drank more than the birthday boy, the best part is you get paid a base rate of $18/hr. This is whether you are out on a delivery or waiting (at the Amazon-DMV) for the next assignment. I did not see any referral credit options, and this rate is ongoing, unlike other TNC driver hourly guarantees. Amazon advertises $18-25/hour, so of course I emailed them after my first day about getting a raise.

Bonuses?! They said $18 is the guaranteed rate and the higher amount is ESTIMATED to include tips, of which you keep 100%. Customers have the option to add a tip within 48 hours of delivery. When rideshare driving, I tell my Uber passengers that while tipping is never required, it is always appreciated. Based on the hours I worked and what I expected to be paid, tips from Amazon added an extra 20% BONUS (10 hrs x $18= $180 + $36 tips= $216)! Thanks Amazon and satisfied customers!

Similar to Lyft and Uber, I received a weekly earnings statement on Wednesday about my prior pay period (Monday-Sunday). My earnings were directly deposited into my checking account and available Thursday. While I am not a tax attorney, nor do I play one on YouTube, I highly suggest using separate accounts for business banking and your Amazon business account if you are operating an LLC or other entity.

Is Amazon Flex Right For You?

My overall experience was very positive and I look forward to delivering again with Amazon. It was really nice to listen to my music and podcasts (RideshareGuy included), without concern of someone making a mess, having a selfie contest or wanting to hit the drive-thru. It could also be a great way for new drivers to learn a city without the pressure of a passenger, or a way for experienced drivers to supplement their Uber/Lyft fares. Depending on your market, you may not make as much as a full time Uber driver during surge hours. While packages don’t offer much in the way of conversations or crazy stories, the laid-back environment of delivering for Amazon was a pleasant change from the variable world of ridesharing.

FAQ

I applied for Amazon Flex, but haven’t heard back yet. How long does it normally take?

If you applied for Amazon Flex, you should hear back about your application within 1-2 weeks. If it takes longer than that though, send a follow-up e-mail to: amazonflex@amazon.com

-Eric (Linkedin)

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Bio: Eric Kouvolo is a Wealth Strategist who helps individuals and businesses create guaranteed retirement and profit sharing plans. This allows clients to spend more time doing what they enjoy, not worrying about the next market crash! When not skiing deep powder, Eric is also a serial entrepreneur, Airbnb Superhost, and Uber/Lyft/Amazon driver. “You can always make more money, but you can never make more time.” Spend it wisely!

I'm Harry, the owner and founder of The Rideshare Guy Blog and Podcast. I used to be a full-time engineer but now I'm a rideshare blogger! I write about my experience driving for Uber, Lyft, and other services and my goal is to help drivers earn more money by working smarter, not harder.

Thanks for the reply. I found out that I have 3 tickets in the past 3 years. Lyft rejected me outright. Uber is considering me but I’m not holding my breath. So, I’m still looking for a flexible driving job

Allen Alberti

They are, in fact, MORE strict. I was one of the first applicants for the miami area. i did not pass the background check because of an misdemeanor illegal passing charge from 5 months previous that i was not found guilty of (adjudication withheld). i have passed the background check with Lyft, Postmates, Grubhub and Favor, and Shipt initially had some hesitation but then passed me after all. i have not tried Uber yet, waiting to get my Lyft rides in first.

While this might count as “background check” and not “driving record”, as part of the dispute process the background check company (Accurate Background) sent me all of my checks. it was a very through check, driving record included.

Thanks for sharing you experience. But it is hard to evaluate whether $18/hour is good or not without knowing how many miles you drive. I’m currently averaging about $1/mile with Uber. How does this compare? Also, have you had issues with finding parking when making a delivery? Do you have any choice over which neighborhoods you will deliver in? Thx

Eric Kouvolo

A mile on the freeway is not the same as in the city to me. I base my results on compensation / hr. You still get paid when waiting for the next pickup while not using fuel or putting on mileage.

The deliveries tend to be to residential homes, which makes parking easier than in the city with meters. You do not have a choice of neighborhoods and it appeared that I was in a pre-selected zone most of the day.

Christopher Holmquist

All great but I have yet to hear from them after 2 months

Eric Kouvolo

They might be saturated with applications. I know another Uber driver who applied and hasn’t heard back in 2 weeks. Seattle is adding a third location and I emailed support to switch. They said Amazon would contact me if that became a possibility. Make sure you select the correct market and location when applying.

Zarles

I applied to drive for Prime Now yesterday afternoon, and was ‘offered the position’ this morning. Base pay is stated to be $12 an hour. I’m in the Orange County area of Southern California, so maybe it’s lower just because there will be more applicants/drivers. Anyway, I filled out all the background check info this morning and my interview is next Friday. Not sure what to expect, but I’m optimistic.

Eric Kouvolo

Congratulations! I did not have an interview, so it might be possible you are working with a contractor. Let us know how things go. Best of success!

Zarles

Thank you! Fairly certain it’s through Amazon directly. The site I had to go to to fill out info and schedule information with is amazon.force.com. Lots of listings for Amazon positions all over the world listed on it, as well.

Hope

Sorry Zarles but that is not the same as Amazon flex. Amazon Flex is $18 plus tips. flex.amazon.com

Zarles

Thanks for the tip!

D E

What company does their background check? The other day I was training with them but they weren’t very clear over the phone!? And where to get the startup screen.

Lisa Henkemeyer

that’s not what they state for pay range. I would never take the job for that.

tanstagcopc

Especially not in Southern California!

I Pledged Allegiance

Yeah thanks so much for taking time to do this and then write about it. You are defiantly going to heaven !#

LeAnn Light Camp

This was very helpful! I am considering working for Amazon Flex, and was happy to find this review. Thanks so much!

Just did the webinar for Houston….they said NO TIPS, that we would not be paid tips. They didn’t say that it does not INCLUDE tips, they only stated that we would receive no tips. When I asked for clarification in the chat, they never answered me. Hmmmm….

Timfany Mayfield

I order from amazon prime now alot and when I order they automatically add atleast a 10% tip I have the option to go in and change the amount, I am hoping that amount goes to your paycheck, maybe they meant you are not to accept tips in person, so they can calculate your tip amount from the order for your tax statement at the end of the year

Serdar Yuksekkaya

Hello,
I applied by filling the form almost 1 week ago.
I have not heard from anybody.
What will be the process? Are they going to call me, send me an email?
Thank you.

Vugar Aliev

Hi, I applied on July 14th and they just returned with a link of application.

Ryan O’Harris

We did get tips but there was no way to know if they were correct, who they came from, and when. It makes the drivers suspect that they might not get all their tips but I have no evidence of that.

HippieComplex

Yes it’s true that Amazon Prime now delivery drivers are not allowed to accept cash tips they’re only allowed to receive the tips that are made via the app.

Bryan Dominguez

Are you an independent contractor or employee?

IC can’t be told they can’t take cash.

josh michael

Beware…if you are considered an independent contractor and not an employee, you will be issued a 1099 at the end of the tax year…you pay double Social Security.

Yes that is true. therideshareguy.com/all-of-your-2014-rideshare-tax-questions-answered-a-turbotax-giveaway/

Haskel Auguste

Very helpful information, I actually went ahead and tried and i was very disappointed. I worked 4 hours blocks within 2 weeks. $72 a block. It’s been a months and i still haven’t gotten paid. I email them every day about with no resolution i only get automated response saying they escalated the issue. There is no phone number to reach them only email.

Well sounds like the pay was good – just some trouble getting paid. These things do happen from time to time so I’d stay patient but also persistent and keep following up with them until you’re paid.

Not from Planet X

Interesting. I took the webinar, and was advised that the pay is a flat $72 for the delivery of who-knows-how-many packages (the only clue being that your car must be able to hold 40-70, which to me sounds more like a small cargo van) in a 4-hour block.

What was not made clear is if the entire process — checking in, queuing up, loading up, delivering, and returning any undeliverables back to the DC — can realistically be done within that 4-hour time frame.

This is key. Is it really 4 hours start-to-finish? Or are you getting paid for “4 hours of deliveries” that actually take 5 or 6 hours of your time to complete?

Yea that sounds about right. I have heard it’s about 4 hours of deliveries from other drivers but try it out and let us know!

jerry jones

I have worked the Las Vegas for 3 weeks and there are very few hours to be had. Zero the first week, 1 four hour block the second, although i did score an additional block by checking the app everyday and 1 four hour block in the third week. So far its been over 4 hours each time with the most recent being close to six hours. Most people aren’t home so no tips at all. Lots of gated communities here, slows thing way down, sometimes i can’t get in at all. Not too impressed so far, others may have had better luck.

Younique

I know exactly what you mean because I experienced this TODAY/NIGHT on my first day at work. Scheduled to work 10-2pm…did my last deleivery at 9pm. Some was my fault even though I had my cell fully charged before I left home and kept my phone on the charger.in my van,..my phone DIED causing delays ofcourse……I was only paid $72.00. They gave me 48 boxes to deliever and only 4 of those boxes went to ONE PERSON…..The app, does not have the packages listed in order (I was driving in circles saying to myslef, I was just here and could have delievered this package right next door)….If you are not familiar with the area then thats a terrible thing……Its a new location here in Houston and I am hoping it gets better. I am wondering if we the DA’s can refuse deliveries lol lol….48 boxes was way to much to deliever in 4 hours, especially for newbies such as myself. Overal, I AM STICKING ITH IT BECAUSE I DO LIKE THE JOB…

Scents Houston

I did my webinar on last week, got a new phone but now I don’t have the info to download app, can someone please help me with this

Not from Planet X

Younique, thanks for advising. Love to hear any updates.

During the “training”, I asked about how the packages and route were sorted, and the trainer seemed to think it was an unusual question. Which told me it’s something they hadn’t put much thought into, and may not be sweating the details the way they could be. Instead, they’re simply leaving it to the driver to figure it out.

So if you’re driving in circles, and putting twice the mileage needed, no sweat for them. Which is pretty sad, because this is what computers should be really good at.

I know for UPS, used to be that the drivers would learn their routes pretty well, and load their trucks accordingly (Last In, First Out). More recently they went to automated systems, including a route mapped out in nav, and the packages would be loaded accordingly. My understanding is that the nav system is pretty good (far better than a beginner might do on their own), but the experienced drivers could still tweak it a little, to bring it from, say, 90% to 100%. But it sounds like the Flex app is pretty much at 0%, as far as route efficiency.

Also had heard that the Flex app is a huge resource hog (which partly explains why a near-flagship phone is needed for a pretty basic app). So it sounds like using a higher-current (fast) car charger is the only way to go.

Shawna

Hi! The packages are in bins and separated onto 3 shelves in order of delivery, which I didn’t find to be true at all. I separate mine numerically, odd/even and this seemed to cut my time searching for the packages in half.

I found the AMAZON GPS to be pretty accurate, turn by turn, but not as good as Google Maps (which I use when that one fails to find the address). I was never able to figure out how to work the voice part of the navigation tho.

And yes, I keep my phone charging the whole time, because it drains the battery fast.

tsh85

I absolutely agree…the navigation app that they use just sucks my battery down. My phone can go days without a charge, but when I’m delivering for Amazon, my battery will deplete faster than my rapid charger can work, and I leave it charging the entire time. It also tends to overheat my phone quite often!

Shawna

nd to answer your questions, you get usually 27-50 pkgs to deliver in the block. I’ve figured the average miles roundtrip to be 70 miles. Starting off, the first few days took me 6 hours and after that, I was able to get them done in about 3-4 hours. You can be at the pick-up point and have your car ready and in front of your cargo at any time. I would arrive about 30 min. before my start time (separate pkgs and envelopes by address, even/odd) and check-in 15 mins before to start scanning the pkgs. I would be done in about 15 mins and start my delivering at the start time. I made sure I never had any to return, because the location is 20 miles from my home and the first drop off was usually 20 miles from the starting point. I love the job and my first week I got 3 shifts, second week I got 5 and the third week, 1 shift. This week, none! They are still hiring and that makes me upset! I had planned on this being a full-time job and by the sounds of it, I could make up to $1000/wk. Not at all! I haven’t gotten any bad reviews and the automated emails from them are just generic responses. I started to look for other delivery jobs and actually spoke to someone that said alot of the Amazon Flex drivers were coming to his company with the same complaint. I feel better knowing it wasn’t my performance, but I’m now realizing, Amazon is not good to their employees (just like the warehouse). They aren’t realistic about the wages that can be earned or any guaranteed shifts. Their response is that we are independent contractors and they are allowing us to be flexible with other delivery prospects or jobs. I would never have taken the job, if I knew this in advance. No one can work a regular day job and do this at the same time. You never know when you’ll be scheduled, so unreliable all around. Sad, because I loved being able to just work that block and make decent money, but it doesn’t pay the bills when you might not get anything scheduled for 2 weeks. And my availability is unlimited! I would think twice before working there. Good luck!

Not from Planet X

Shawna, thanks for your comments! It’s nice to hear that the 4 hrs of pay can actually be completed in 4 hrs, given a little practice. (Nobody can work at 100% in their first days of any new job.)

I went for almost 3 weeks, checking it every day, but never got any assignments. Granted, I could only offer 4-6 hrs of availability each day, but still. So I pretty much gave up on it. The possibility of getting only few blocks each month just doesn’t seem worth it. Far too unreliable, especially considering the learning curve as mentioned.

And that’s really the thing with the gig economy. They can have 10 actual openings, but still set up 100 people to be available for them. No skin off their nose. Even if 3/4 of them give up (like I did), there are still plenty left. And there will always be more candidates lining up. The only cost to Amazon is taking out a few want ads, and their employment cost for the 1-hr of online training (where they can just as easily train 10 or 100 people at a time).

Shawna

It’s sad, because I really like the freedom I have working there, but it’s not gonna work out for me, unfortunately. I wish they gave us the shifts we want to work and just leave it alone, because I don’t understand the method to their madness. Ugh!

HippieComplex

In my brief experience so far with Amazon Flex is it is approx 10 minutes scanning, 4+ hours driving and delivering plus the length of time it takes to get back to the distribution center to return undeliverable packages.

HippieComplex

In my personal experience having been an Amazon Flex delivery driver for regular Amazon Prime packages for the past 2 months almost everyday that I have worked, it takes at least 4 hours for the four-hour block just for the deliveries themselves. Add in another half hour maybe if scanning the packages. And then if you have to bring any packages back to the Distribution Center that adds extra time is well.

M V

Thanks for this info. I signed up already and waiting response from Amazon for get things start it..!!!!!

Well, to be clear: I live in NYC, where everything is heavily regulated. I’m still in the process of getting my TLC license, and when I do, I’ll rent a car to use for Uber/Lyft since my car doesn’t qualify. Renting is expensive, but the fleet company pays for the vehicle licensing and the commercial insurance.

So, when that’s all done, it might not be a bad thing to use Flex as an addition to rideshare, when I simply don’t feel like dealing with people.

But the TLC process takes almost two months, and I was hoping I could start getting some income from Flex right away, as it apparently doesn’t require TLC licensing, and my car is more than good enough. But Amazon themselves stipulated that I had commercial insurance for this gig. Shelling out a grand right now just to work for maybe a month before I get my TLC just doesn’t seem to make much sense.

Joe Simmons

Funny that I replied last night, and just this morning I wake up to an email from Amazon stating that I need to send them proof of the commercial insurance. So yeah, they’re serious about it. Here in NYC, anyway.

Yea that may be high for deliveries but for FT rideshare drivers who do 1,000 miles a week or 4,000 miles per month that seems reasonable. At 30 MPG that would be 133 gallons of gas, at $3/gal, you’re already at $400/mo.

Ron if you have a charger like me which gets 15 miles per gallon you are looking about 800 dollars a month. Not worth it for me.

doru popovici

It’s right, u are putting city miles on ur car. Not hw. Frequent stops , breaks, insurance, another 50-60 miles to drive to pickup location b4 starting work. U make if lucky 144$/ day. 40 in gas , here in Sunnyvale at least, wear on car, insurance and taxes, food on the go. If everything works perfect and u can deliver in ur time slot. I don’t think u r left with too much. Add some parking fees , tickets, liability and u r pretty much “scraping empty plates for food”.

Ted Barbaras

You don’t need CI — you need full coverage. Min $1000 deductible and amazon will back you up. They will cover up to a million in liability for you.

landonpropper

Hi Harry,

I also wrote in your rideshare blog, and I have the same question for delivering for Amazon Flex. Almost 4 years ago I was charged with a DWI in Austin, and never lost my license like most people because I won what is called an ALR hearing where a judge looks at evidence to determine whether he/she thinks you should be suspended. The DWI charge was dismissed, but I did get a charge of what is called “obstructing a roadway,” which was deferred. Do you know what Amazon Flex’s policies are on this? Thanks!

It depends on the company (PM says no, DD says yes, not sure) so although they wouldn’t know what car you’re using, I assume they may not cover a rental car when it comes to insurance.

George

I’m having trouble finding insurance companies that offer amazon flex insurance in NJ. Any refferels would be greatly appreciated

Ted Barbaras

Amazon specifically says carry full coverage with $1000 dollar deductible minimum. You don’t need to mention it to your insurance company. Amazon is a self insured company and has you covered for the equivalent of what you carry.

David Evans

No one will ask.

Danny Cao

Yes. U can use a rented/borrowed car. As long as those cars r covered by your personal insurance . That info is confirmed in Q&A in driver app.

Mimi

I was approved to do the webinar, but then never heard from them… didn’t get an email telling me to download the app. How do I get in touch with them?

Ray Markwell

I signed up twice and received a thank you reply…since then, nothing. What is the typical response time from Amazon?

David Evans

Took me 10-14 days to get my acceptance and link to the rabbit app (their driver app)

Kim Burnett

How long typically does it take for Amazon to get back after an application is submitted?

Usually no more than 1-2 weeks but can’t hurt to shoot them an e-mail and follow-up.

tsh85

It took them 3 weeks to email me back, and another 4 weeks for the background check once I was approved. I have now been delivering for them the past two weeks.

DeerHuntersWife

This article is great, but there are some other things to consider. On my first day I used up over half of a full tank of gas in my little civic, which Flex does not compensate for. You are not strictly driving around the city, but locations up to an hours drive away (this was the case for me at least). Another thing is that you get anywhere from 30-70 deliveries per block (2-4 hour shifts); if your block ends and you still have packages, you are expected to finish them without extra pay.

Admittedly I was a bit confused on my first day so I’ll give Flex another shot. I was scheduled a shift of 11:30-3:30 last Sunday. I arrived on time but didn’t end up leaving the warehouse until 12:30, leaving me with 3 hours to deliver 50 packages at a location 45 mins away. The delivery’s were all very nearby eachother and organized in the most efficient manner. I felt like a postal-woman, dropping off packages to at times 4 homes per cul-de-sac.

I ended up having to bring back 2 packages as the addresses given were non-existent. Side note: the app is still being tested for use, so it’s not perfect, but the support team was very nice. Anyway, I didn’t get back to the warehouse until 530pm (yes, that’s 2 hours later than scheduled and without pay) 🙁 . I will be more prepared for the next time, and hopefully my experience goes better than my first. Hope this helps!

Yea I’ve heard this too, but I think as you get the hang of it you’ll be more and more efficient.

Jason Rittimann

Hi, I’ve been driving for Amazon Flex down in Austin for a little over a month now. Just wanted to answer a few questions I saw in the comments… First off, concerning availability of blocks. I have an open availability and the first couple of weeks, was not scheduled any blocks, but I would check the app several times a day, and was able to pick up at least one 4-hour block every day, sometimes two. The more blocks I completed this way, the more I seemed to get pre-scheduled. It appears to me, maybe they base the schedule at least partly based on this? As far as can it all be done in 4 hours? The answer is most of the time. Officially, any packages you can’t deliver during the 4-hour block are to be returned to the fulfillment center. There is no penalty for this. I spoke to several of the warehouse crew and also asked the support line about this. Their answers were all same…return all undelivered packages to the fulfillment center, and don’t forget to allow drive time to the center. So, every 4 hour is guaranteed $18/hr. since they pay $72 per block. The flip side to this if you finish early, which I have done several times, then you are actually making more per hour. The max number of packages we get is around 44.. The app creates an itinerary for you and is normally the most efficient route to take.. I have not had any major problems, with the exception of it leading me to the wrong location because it was a brand new subdivision. The big issue for me was how to pack my car to make it easier, because having to look through all the boxes every time you stopped seemed like a futile effort.. I finally figured out that each package has a package/box number, which isn’t on the main label. It’s printed on a separate small label. There are 2 numbers on it like this 79(34) The number in the parentheses is sequential, so when I started packing based on that, my deliveries got much faster! Just remember that the number in parentheses won’t always start with (01), and some numbers will be absent from your batch, but they will always be sequential. So far, I love driving for Amazon. Everyone is nice and super helpful. It’s especially great they you have someone you can call during your shift for help, unlike Uber. It did take a couple months from the time I initially emailed to start driving, but I think it was worth the wait. I hope this clears up some of the questions people had. Feel free to reach out to me with any other questions.

That’s a great tip and it’s also cool that the better you get at the job/the more efficient you are, the more you make 🙂

Piraeus

Hi, Jason. Thanks a lot for your write up. It’s very helpful. I am also in Austin. Yesterday, I went to the Amazon Flex site, entered my info, and clicked the “Sign Up Now” button. I got no confirmation email or any additional information. The page says, “Sign up now and we’ll contact you”. Do you know how long it typically takes before Amazon contacts an applicant?

Thanks again for your help.

Jason Rittimann

Yeah I never got any kind of confirmation either. I think I actually filled out the form 3 or 4 times thinking I had done it wrong. I eventually got an email from them but it took a good 2 months. So hang in there.

Michelle

Have you ever had a late delivery? I had one that was 2 minutes late and now I haven’t had a scheduled shift in a couple weeks. Any idea if that means I’ve been black
listed? Is there anyway to get back on their good side?

Ted Barbaras

Michelle he is doing the flat rate — no customer interaction delivery service. They basically have a 4 hour block and anywhere from 15-40 packages to deliver. They have until 9 at night to complete the delivery’s. You are doing prime now which is different. If you are late you are correct it knocks you down on the bracket.

Basically every prime now member has a % of successful deliveries. If you are late, package gets stolen etc… the algorithm goes against you.

No one is perfect you can’t have a perfect score and its a gamble. You are going to delivery a package and its bound to get stolen. You just have to hope it won’t happen that often.

You’ll also be late — you just have to hope it won’t happen that often.

Do your best is all I can say and don’t stress about it. Many of the situations are out of your control.

Ryan O’Harris

I had a horrible experience with Amazon Flex. In my opinion it is a dangers job because in order to finish many of the blocks they give you on time, you often have to break the law and speed. I heard this from many drivers. They give you routes that can not be finished in two hours that might include delivering dozens of cases of water up 3 flights of stairs in 114 degree weather and not enough time to do it even if you speed and run to the doors. The money is better than Uber or Lyft if you don’t count all the waiting around hoping you get a block and going weeks without getting any work. The company also appears to have favorites who get jobs that can be finished on time, and the rest do not even get scheduled and have to fish for jobs wasting many hours. If a block pops up they expect you to get to the pickup point in minutes which only those who are willing to set in the pickup location all day in order to maybe get a block get. They use you for a month or two then they stop giving you work and notify you that you did not finish blocks fast enough. I averaged 180 miles a day and have driven more in one day for them. I also was told that you should have commercial insurance and your insurance will cancel you if you get into an accident while driving even though I was told Amazon Flex covers you. I can not verify this but I called 10 insurance companies and everyone said you would not be covered and your insurance would be canceled. I have been a Amazon customer for many years and spent a great deal of money with them but I am done. There total lack of concern for their drivers and cold manner in which they treat drivers makes it obvious they do not deserve our patronage. It’s a horrible job but if you signup assume it will not last long.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I will say your experience seems to be in the minority from the drivers I’ve talked to though – maybe it’s a regional thing. What city are you in and how do the other Flex drivers in your area feel?

Ryan O’Harris

I worked in Las Vegas and have talked to many of the drivers and they all feel the same way. I see about 8-9 regulars that get most of the work and everyone else is trying to pick up blocks by sitting there all day and fishing for them. I heard on an almost daily bases how dangerous the job was because of the coerced need to speed to get things done in time. I heard this from other drivers and how they hated constantly getting the automated notes from Amazon Flex when they were late even though it was impossible for anyone to have done the route in under 2 hours. I have many times been sent on routes that were 34 minutes away, with 19 packages, 10 stops and at least 8 of those stops were 14-16 minutes apart if you are lucky and did not get my block to deliver until 20 minutes after the hour leaving me only 1 hour and 40 minutes and the driving alone was more than that. I arrived at a house that was on fire and the fire department stopped everyone (obviously) but still you get the nasty note. The navigation on the app was horrible but that didn’t really bother me because I just used another navigation program. Ever try to deliver 10 cases of water to a hotel on the strip at rush hour? It’s almost a block in itself but then they send you 20 or more miles away after that to do 8-10 more stops. This gets you back 30-40 minutes late and your behind the 8-ball.

Yea it sounds like Las Vegas is just not a good city for Flex or delivery…

Ann Gross

We live in pittsburgh and my husband had the same experience. They gave him 55 packages to deliver in a suburban area in a 3 hour block. It just isn’t feasible to even get from place to place in order to deliver a package every 5 minutes.

Aaron Roufs

Hi, Ann. I worked for FedEx home delivery for ovr 2 yrs. Ok average i had 130 stops a day. I got paid by the day, so when your done your done. I would myself and other good drivers be upset if we didnt do 20 stops an hour. 55 stops in 3 hrs is very doable. Problems do occur and you do your best to deal with them and continue.

thoth

55 packages in 3 hours is nothing. I average in Los Angles with traffic 2 hours to complete. A lot of the times in the am I can finish 55+ in 1.5. People don’t realize or create a system for their selves. I prefer more packages, it means the stops are closer together. Easy money.

Frances Suzanne

wow…. drama queen much??

Ryan O’Harris

Is this site run by amazon? Why do negative comments about Amazon Flex never get posted?

I signed up in Las Vegas too, but have not heard back yet. I would also like to know how it has been going for you so far.

Tiffany Thomas

I signed up via a friend’s app and just got an email with details concerning deliveries and to let me know I had completed all onboarding steps. However, I have not received anything regarding orientation or a link to download the app. Am I missing something?

No more than a week or two and they should be listed on the site but basically a vehicle and pass a background check 🙂

Kirkland

Oh good. I’ve seen written comments in YouTube that it take 2-3 months to get a response from them. That’s a relief! I’m just hoping they won’t make a big deal about have years of driving experience like Uber because I don’t have that. It’ll be interesting to see how they improve this job though. A lot of mixed reviews.

Kirkland

Dynamex seems interesting too.

Eric Kouvolo

Hey Tiffany. Not sure how you signed up via an app. All applicants should start at flex.amazon.com . If selected, they will send you an invite via email to a webinar (this can take a few weeks). It is on this webinar that the host will provide a time-sensitive url that allows only Android phones to download the app.

The FAQ section details delivery scheduling. Based on other discussions, applicants should be aware there is a difference between Prime Now and Amazon.com deliveries. .com is a set 4 hour blocks with no tips. Prime Now can vary from 2-12 hours per day with tips. The most I was ever schedule in a day was 8 hours. There have been days where I wasn’t schedule and picked up multiple 2 hour blocks.

Amazon, Lyft, Uber, Airbnb, ect. may not be for everyone. However, it is still allowing me the flexiblity to grow my consulting business and schedule life based on my needs, not an employer’s.

syace21

This is long but here goes:
Very Very Unorganized. New policy change every week. Support is a JOKE. They can’t help you with anything. I had several issues with my PAY. I could never get any one the phone. Only through email. It took weeks to get any issues resolved. No notes in their system. So when you finally get a response (email) you have to include all of your previous emails or else you start over in your quest. I also thought It was a little shady how you couldn’t actually see you tips (like which stop or customer gave you a tip and how much) It was just grand total type of scenario. Who checked the math? There was many times I question it. When you were given a shift they gave an estimate/range on how much to expect for the shift. I started when Amazon-Flex first kicked off in Nashville. Back then we made $25 an hour. Point blank PLUS tips. I noticed as time went on that our rate per hour dropped to $17.25 or so. The veterans and I grumbled some. But we were making tips still on a good day so it was so-so. Besides who could we talk to anyway? As I tried to get my friends hired they were telling them that whole $18-25 an hour the included your tips. See…
Ratings: Rating determines whether you get deliveries or not. If I was going to be late for my next pick up (due to traffic or customer had wrong address on the package, etc.) Didn’t matter my fault. Your rating goes down either way. If the pick-up place forgot to give you a package that goes with the customer’s order. Traffic Jam making you late to your customers house. The app could mess up and cause you to be late. Your fault your ratings drop. All your fault as well. They tell you to call support so they can call the customer for you. Mind you they only call your customer if you are going to be MORE than 30 minutes late. There is NO grace period for deliveries. ONE minute late and that’s it. You usually have two hours to deliver God knows how many packages. I wonder why. Maybe because a couple months ago you the instituted a new policy about a 5 minute grace period to get the station. Let’s say you want to pick up a block and one becomes available it pops on you app less than 30 minutes before you have to be there. You get there in 35 minutes they turn you away. Even though they need help. So guess what people who were loading up getting ready to leave with their 8 stops worth of packages (you never know and you only have TWO hours) get those extra packages due to the new policy. Everybody’s rating goes down you know because there were never enough drivers. Do you think Amazon called customers to try to cancel orders or try to deliver them later in the day? NO. Pressure was put on us. They didn’t care. You just a number on a board. I worked for a year and I can count how many times I got more than two hours of work, They would tell me “do the best you can” Doing the best I could made my rating go down and whole slew of unsatisfactory customer expectations emails. My customers were great. I got great tips ALL the time. All amazon sees is numbers. How many times was I late(remember, weather and traffic don’t give you grace or understanding you are JUST A name with NUMBER). They never see in numbers how many times I had to try to deliver 10 stops in an 1 hour and 30 minutes. ( i say an hour and 30 because you never leave on time and it take about 30 minutes to get back to the station if have more picks-ups after that.)
Access: So let’s say your phone is acting up or it’s broken. No way besides your mobile device that is registered to your account to access the app. You can’t use someone else’s phone to make deliveries. Nor log in to forfeit your blocks or change your availability.
Termination email: I called support to let them know my phone was messed up and I couldn’t do the deliveries. Support said write an email to support and let them know. I can’t help you. I wrote support an email stating that my phone was messed up and that I could not login to forfeit my scheduled pick-ups two weeks prior. (Remember I stated you can’t access the app unless it’s the phone you signed up with.) They scheduled me for 6 more pick-ups/blocks after the email was sent. I kept getting unsatisfactory emails saying I didn’t meet their “customer expectations”. I hit so many I got terminated for not forfeiting my scheduled blocks. How could I though? Even repeated email’s and a phone call wasn’t enough. I had to send my phone off to Samsung to get it fixed and I lost my part time job. BOGUS! Since I have been there I have NEVER missed or didn’t show up for a block. Not even my fault and I got punished.

Fairness: Drivers get ranked by numbers and customers. Who ranks the support employees? Half of them have incorrect information and the drivers are looking to them to on what to do. They never seem to have a supervisor or management. Yet “the calls may be recorded for quality assurance” BOGUS! There information has a DIRECT effect on my numbers.

I signed up 6 months ago when this was first posted, but Amazon wasn’t hiring in my area then. Just heard back from them today that they are now hiring in the SF Bay Area. So I went through their training and then came here to read the comments that had been posted.

I must say, I have my complaints about Uber, but this job sounds so terrible that it makes Uber seem great. With Uber, I can drive as many hours as I want, whenever and wherever I want, and have at least some control over my income and expenses, as well as the “cargo” I carry. With Flex, they control when you work, how much you work, and where you work. And it sounds like you have little to no control over what they put in your car and where you have to take it. In return, they pay you a fixed amount while you absorb the risk that your time and expenses will be greater than anticipated.

The $18/hour compensation is a joke, considering that you have to use your own insured vehicle. This is clearly commercial work, and by law you should have commercial plates and commercial insurance. But there is no way you could afford those on $18/hour, especially if you are only getting 4-8 hours of work a week. So you have to absorb the risk and hope nothing bad happens.

And assuming you average 20 miles of driving per hour (which seems reasonable given 70-100 miles per shift), at a conservative $0.40/mile to operate your vehicle, that’s about $8/hour in vehicle expenses. Which leaves you an operating profit (before taxes and admin costs) of about $10/hour. In San Francisco, the minimum wage is currently $13/hour, and if you work you get access to free health care, plus other benefits (like sick days and disability insurance).

So let’s recap: This is a job that pays about 25% below minimum wage, with no benefits, no protections, very little upside potential, and extraordinary risk. Honestly, illegal immigrants who work as dishwashers in restaurants in San Francisco do better than this.

In fact, I don’t even see how this is legal. It is clearly a job that has been mis-classified as an independent contractor position. I have had real jobs with more independence than what is offered here.

Typical FedEx delivery drivers earn $21-$27/hour plus benefits and drive the company vehicle at the company’s expense. Think about that the next time you are tempted to do this.

$18/hour does seem pretty low. So how many deliveries have you done on Flex? Sometimes I think people over analyze these jobs a little too much instead of just going out and doing it themselves to see if it makes financial sense or not..

Gene Chamson

You got me, Harry:) I haven’t done any deliveries on Flex. But I don’t need to taste a rotten fish to know that it stinks. To be fair, maybe there are some people in some areas for whom this could be a suitable option. But here in San Francisco, it’s a lousy deal. Uber gives me so much more flexibility and control, but even so, if they capped me at $18/hour gross, I’d quit in a heartbeat. People should understand that this is nothing more than a part-time job that pays you less and costs you more.

Amazon will only pay you $18.00 perhour for four hours. That’s it. All deliveries are mandatory even if you schedule yourself off a couple of days.
Sometimes the app will stop working for several hours while you are in the field delivering. So whatever packages you could not deliver, you must return then to your warehouse.

I think you signed up for Amazon’s package delivery program – this article is about Amazon Flex.

Joshua Ventura

Jason, I agree with The Rideshare Guy that it looks like you signed up for Logistics and not Prime Now, with Prime Now we receive tips.

Jonathan Cerrillo

I’ve been just accepted for Amazon Flex, I have a question. Do you have time to eat between blocks? I can’t work 8 straight hours without any food due to a medical condition. I’m asking this because I haven’t found the option on the app to schedule blocks for example 10 am to 2 pm and then again 4 pm to 8 pm, I need to choose consecutive hours. Thanks in advance for any help!

Jonathan Knope

I hear your frustration – the Flex app really needs to allow drivers to drop *parts* of a block. As it is, it’s all or nothing – if you’re scheduled 12pm-8pm, you’ve gotta either work 12-8, or drop the whole thing – there’s no way to drop only the 6-8pm block, for instance. Likewise, there’s no way to set multiple availability periods during the same day (ie, 8-12 and 4-8).

That being said, you’ve got several options. First, pack a big lunch and snacks and eat on the road or while waiting at the warehouse. I do this regularly – I’ve even hit drive-thrus before when on a block and ahead of schedule (ie, if my first block ends at 6, but it’s looking like I’ll get back to the warehouse at 5:30, I’ll stop and grab food before returning). The second option is to limit your availability to shorter blocks so you won’t get scheduled for long ones. This may mean less money, but you won’t be stuck working for hours on end. If you go this route, I’d recommend setting afternoon/evening hours, as these tend to be in highest demand. Hope this helps!

Jonathan Cerrillo

Thanks a lot for the tip! it’s a shame that Amazon is struggling with such simple tasks, hope it just gets better in the near future. I’ll start (hopefully) next Monday and just made myself available from 12 pm to 6 pm to check how does it works.

Jazmyne Marie Gwendolyn Tanner

How long did it take to get blocks or orders? I just signed up in Los Angeles and I am waiting for blocks to open up!! Does it start slow and the more I do, I get more blocks? Do the blocks come available 24hrs before the delivery time? Is this job able to do full-time? Whatever more info you can give me for blocks and offers, please let me know!! Thanks

Jonathan Knope

It’s hard to say – could be a while. My strategy is to set my availability wide open every day of the week, and if they schedule me for one I can’t do, I’ll forfeit it.

You may have luck picking up blocks that others have dropped. These can pop up as little as 30 minutes prior to a scheduled start time, so make sure you’ve got enough time to get there before accepting.

You may start getting more blocks once you’ve completed a few, or you may not. Amazon uses some combination of metrics to rank drivers, including delivery speed and success rate, showing up to scheduled blocks, etc – but the details of this ranking system aren’t public knowledge. Amazon is too saturated with drivers right now to be a full-time job, unless you’ve got perfect metrics and are very quick about snagging blocks as soon as they appear!

Arielle Johnson

I am glad I came across your site. You mention a lot of common sense strategies, to have more control over your earnings, than what I have ever sat down to consider. However, my desire to get the most out of being compensated for one of the most flexible jobs I have ever had in my life, is what has lead me here. I work in Medical Billing, and need to purchase some very expensive software for my business – sitting in dead areas, waiting for ride requests isn’t going to get it. Loaning myself out to Amazon a few hours a day can’t hurt. Thank you.

I have been delivering using the Flex app for about 3 months now. I had a choice of 3 locations in the Seattle area. The one I chose does package only deliveries. These have been Prime packages and large and heavy packages. With the exception of 1 night I have not been given more packages than could be delivered in the time chosen. About 50% of the time I will be able to choose a 4 hour block and be done in 2 to 3 hours. The blocks usually pay $18/hr, but as demand increases for drivers so does the rate. You do have to be careful as thier map program may not be efficient, however with some experience and work with the app you can bypass the “next” delivery to chose a closer one. Unfortunately you have to do this for each closer delivery until you deliver the “next” one.

jerry jones

So does Seattle still have 4 hour blocks? Here in Las Vegas the blocks are only 3 hours. We stopped having 4 hour blocks back in December. I assumed it was the same everywhere. Unfortunately the number of packages per route didn’t go down.

Rob Woodard

I can only see the DSE2 location, but there will be 3 hour and 4 hour blocks available. It varies though. I do get my best earnings with 4 hour blocks as its only package delivery when we are done we dont have to go back unless there was an undeliverable package.

Probably not since you have to get out of your car – might work with UberEATS since technically you don’t have to get out of the car. But still not sure that’d be a great idea.

Frustrated Teacher

You do have to get out of the car for UberEATS….to pick up the food at the restaurant and then most of the time to deliver. EATS would be difficult with a child in the car.

Bryan Dominguez

Currently only Richmond, VA is available.

mzegan

Driving is either terrific or terrible. It depends on the day, really. In San Diego, the routes are usually doable but at night, Badly lit condos and apts can slow you down. Restaurant delivery is great. I get assigned blocks, but most of the blocks I work, i have to troll the app, which is frustrating. With the faults, this is way better than Uber, it’s possible to make more money. Last week was great, I made well over 300 dollars in 8 hrs. (Not every week is like this.) I only do Uber Eats, now and then. I have had enough of putting idiots in my car.

mzegan

I might add…sometimes, the route turns into…”The Amazing Race….:” It can be tricky.

About

I'm Harry, the owner and founder of The Rideshare Guy Blog and Podcast. I used to be a full-time engineer but now I'm a rideshare blogger! I write about my experience driving for Uber, Lyft, and other services and my goal is to help drivers earn more money by working smarter, not harder. Read More…

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